If there’s a story behind these marzipan truffles called Marzipan Potatoes in German, I don’t know it. What I know for sure is that these traditional German Christmas treats are quick and easy to make and irresistible!

Marzipan Truffles (Marzipankartoffeln)

2 cups (300 g) shelled and blanched almonds

2⅓ cups (250 g) confectioners’ sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, or 1 tablespoon natural orange flavor mixed with 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Grind the almonds in the food processor to a very fine powder. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the orange liqueur, a teaspoon at a time. Keep grinding until a thick, smooth paste forms. Add drops of water if the paste dry and crumbly but do not overdo it, otherwise your marzipan will become difficult to shape. Frequently scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl to ensure that the entire paste is smooth.

2. Divide the paste in two halves. On a clean work surface lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll each half into two logs of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Cut each log into 16 equal pieces and shape them into balls. They do not have to be perfectly round, potatoes aren’t neither!

3. Mix the cocoa and cinnamon in a pie plate or a large deep dish. Put half of the balls or as many as you can loosely fit in the plate and gently tilt the plate in different directions until all of the balls are evenly coated. Using a small brush, remove the excess cocoa from each ball. They will look even more like potatoes if the marzipan shows in some spots. Process the same way with the remaining balls.

4. Store the marzipan potatoes in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers, or place each one in a candy cup.

Makes 26 pieces